On March 20 SW007M (with the dead GPS collar) was located during the Madison
elk capture in SW MT. Atkinson [MFWP] was able to dart him and refitted him with
another standard collar. The wolf was in excellent condition, and had no skin
disease. Blood was collected for analysis.

Control

On the 8th an Anatolian Shepard in the Ninemile Drainage got into
it with two black wolves at about 7:15 A.M. just south of a hay shed. The dog
came when called but had blood dripping from a major wound. He dog had a severe
wound to the left shoulder by the neck and in the rump near the anal area and
was taken to the veterinarian right away. The dog had a total of 7 puncture
wounds including the two open wounds. The rancher believed that his spiked
leather collar [a ½ dozen were purchased from Spain on a trial basis], which Joe
Fontaine [FWS] sent the first time the dog had a wolf encounter 3-4 years ago,
is more than likely what saved him for that was the only critical area on his
body with no puncture wounds.

Research

Yellowstone National Park continues with their annual late winter wolf
predation study for the month of March. Volunteers are following wolf packs in
the northern range daily to determine prey selection and kill rates. Smith said
it appears to be a very strange year. Elk are in horrible condition and they are
starting to see lots of winter-kill elk. Wolf kills rates appear near normal but
the bone marrow condition of wolf-killed elk appear near starvation levels. The
Park has normal snow depth but has had freezing thawing conditions that hardened
snow making it tough for the wind to blow it off ridges or for elk to dig
through it.

Information and Education and Law Enforcement

Holyan [NTP] gave a presentation to the Whitman County (Wash.) Sportsmen's
Association on the 4th at their annual Wild Game Dinner, about 40
people attended.

Bangs [FWS] gave the lead-off talk to about 300 attendees at the 22nd
Vertebrate Pest Conference in Berkeley, CA on the 7th. The Conference
is held every two years and focuses on control of wildlife damage throughout the
world. The initial plenary session dealt with damage and management of wolves in
the NRM and Mid-west, koalas and kangaroos, and elephants. Nearly 100 papers
were presented. Proceedings will be published in 8-10 months.

Smith [NPS] gave presentations to about 50 R-1 Forest Service District
Rangers in Chico on the 8th, and 25 members of the International Wolf
Center that were touring with Dr. L. David Mech on the 7th.

Steve Nadeau [IDFG] gave a presentation to about 35 members of the Northwest
Section of the Wildlife Society entitled State Management of Wolves: status of
populations and proposals on the 8th. Michael Lucid also gave a presentation to
the same group entitled "an online reporting system for wolf sightings". Mack
and Holyan [NTP] also attended the Idaho Chapter of the Wildlife Society annual
conference in Boise. Mack presented "Developing Long-term Monitoring Protocols
for Wolves in Idaho," and Holyan was presenter of "Ten Years of Wolf Recovery- a
Conservation Success" poster.

On the 7th, MFWP Sime gave a presentation at Lewis and Clark Caverns State
Park about wolves, lions, and bears. About 10 people attended. On the 8th, Sime
spent the afternoon with graduate students taking a Human Dimensions of Fish and
Wildlife Management seminar. Seven participated.

On the 10th, the Montana Livestock Loss Reduction and Mitigation Program
working group met in Helena. They are working on program details of a
Montana-based reimbursement program for wolf-caused livestock losses. MFWP Sime
attended.

The Service's weekly wolf report can be viewed at
http://westerngraywolf.fws.gov/ .
This report is government public property and can be used for any purpose.
Please distribute as you see fit.